Metal Gear Solid PC and Steam

[JudgeDredd]

There was only one God in my life and he passed away in 2000  :'(

[JudgeDredd]

Anyone playing this? What's with the freaky soldiers? I'm stuck  >:D

[Jarhead0331]

Yeah. I just finished the Afghanistan mission rescuing Miller. I'm at mother base now learning how to build and manage it.

If there is one thing that annoys me about the MG franchise it is all the freaky and super natural crap. The game really doesn't need it. The stuff based on the actual military units and hardware is top notch. I never understood why Kojima adds such a strong fantasy element to the games, but I guess that's just part of the series, and I guess a little bit of that wacky "Japanese thing". I was having a great time fighting 1980s era soviet troops, why ruin it with zombie gas troopers with super powers?

Anyway, so far, it is a really good game...but I still havent seen anything that makes me jump out of my seat shouting, "OMG! Greatest game ever made in the history of game making!!!"

[JudgeDredd]

Yeah. I wasn't expecting the supernatural element...but I had never played MGS before.

It is good. Great? Too early to tell for me. I think Splinter Cell and Ghost Recon Future Soldier were absolutely superb both from a combat and a tech perspective. This - at the moment - is a bit on the shallow side...but then I'm not at mother base yet and I haven't been able to send much back (no parachute thingy.

I'm using PC - and one of the things you can do when you climb up is go down again. Unfortunately, the on screen help says to move the left control stick and press E - but I'm not using a controller and so I haven't found out what "key" I have to use in order to achieve anything related to the "stick" assignment.

Also - what's this "open world" stuff? I went to get away from the skulls and I was warned I was leaving the mission area. Sorry - that doesn't scream out to me "open world". Big mission area? Yep. Open world? Nope.

Another thing - I saw a playthrough of the first mission and it showed him attached those balloon things to soldiers among other things and send them back to mother base - but I can't seem to do that...was that just an early playthrough or did I just miss the option (nothing showed up with the balloon icon).

And for anyone going through the first mission - if you stun a guard - remember they will wake up. Once I take guards quietly, I haven't worked out how to do anything other than stun them. I wasn't aware until 15 minutes or so later and the whole base came alive  :-[

Anyway - early doors but I'm not blown away yet

[Jarhead0331]

Yeah. I wasn't expecting the supernatural element...but I had never played MGS before.

It is good. Great? Too early to tell for me. I think Splinter Cell and Ghost Recon Future Soldier were absolutely superb both from a combat and a tech perspective. This - at the moment - is a bit on the shallow side...but then I'm not at mother base yet and I haven't been able to send much back (no parachute thingy.

I'm using PC - and one of the things you can do when you climb up is go down again. Unfortunately, the on screen help says to move the left control stick and press E - but I'm not using a controller and so I haven't found out what "key" I have to use in order to achieve anything related to the "stick" assignment.

Also - what's this "open world" stuff? I went to get away from the skulls and I was warned I was leaving the mission area. Sorry - that doesn't scream out to me "open world". Big mission area? Yep. Open world? Nope.

Another thing - I saw a playthrough of the first mission and it showed him attached those balloon things to soldiers among other things and send them back to mother base - but I can't seem to do that...was that just an early playthrough or did I just miss the option (nothing showed up with the balloon icon).

And for anyone going through the first mission - if you stun a guard - remember they will wake up. Once I take guards quietly, I haven't worked out how to do anything other than stun them. I wasn't aware until 15 minutes or so later and the whole base came alive  :-[

Anyway - early doors but I'm not blown away yet

I wasn't able to send anything back by balloon in the first mission either. I assumed you wont be able to do that until you're set up with mother base?

As for options after a tactical take down, you can kill them. On the PS4 version, its the triangle button.

[Jarhead0331]

Check this out.
http://kotaku.com/hideo-kojima-says-goodbye-to-metal-gear-solid-and-its-1728135026?utm_campaign=Socialflow_Kotaku_Facebook&utm_source=Kotaku_Facebook&utm_medium=Socialflow

There's something kind of "fake" about watching a video of people blowing smoke up people's arses to be honest. I just felt uncomfortable watching that video...like a promo with "the god" present.  :-X

Agreed. Its ten minutes of nothing but ass kissing. We are talking about a game here. Its not like the guy cured cancer or brought upon world peace.

[sandman2575]

I never understood why Kojima adds such a strong fantasy element to the games, but I guess that's just part of the series, and I guess a little bit of that wacky "Japanese thing".

^this. I think for Americans (myself included), there's an element of Japanese pop culture that will always be completely incomprehensible. Maybe that's the case for all cultures, but when it comes to Japan, it seems especially noticeable.  (The Simpsons nailed it years ago with their spoof ad for "Mr. Sparkle"  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiAaEPcnlOg)

The Cult of Kojima is kind of interesting, to me at least. He's probably the only game developer who has risen to the status of 'auteur,' like he's the Fellini or Jean-Luc Godard of video games. (I've heard him called the "Kubrick of video games" more than once.) Part of me thinks that's a good thing. I'm not in favor of blind idol worship, but I also think it's worthwhile, occasionally, to step back and think about just how much artistic talent goes into creating these worlds, whether MGS or The Witcher or Elder Scrolls or what have you. Movie directors are 'serious' artists, but game devs don't have that mainstream cultural clout yet. Maybe that will start to change.

end musings. back to work...

[Jarhead0331]

So the game REALLY opens up after the first mission. I can confirm that you get access to the extraction balloons after you complete the first op. Once you finish that first mission in 'Stan, a bunch of story missions and "side ops" open up, as do the staff, R&D and research management options. Its getting to be REALLY enjoyable. Furthermore, I've been on one more story mission and one side op and not experienced any freaky supernatural crap.

[JudgeDredd]

So the game REALLY opens up after the first mission. I can confirm that you get access to the extraction balloons after you complete the first op. Once you finish that first mission in 'Stan, a bunch of story missions and "side ops" open up, as do the staff, R&D and research management options. Its getting to be REALLY enjoyable. Furthermore, I've been on one more story mission and one side op and not experienced any freaky supernatural crap.

I'd be interested in a PM on how you got away from the Skulls.

[JudgeDredd]

mmm...I'm hoping the ridiculous "checkpoint" saves don't ruin this title for me.

On my first proper mission outside of mother base, I had sneaked my way through the whole lot and extracted the guy I needed to - as well as a bunch of diamonds, resources and people. However, I got sloppy and left a body in abuilding. I had monitored the building and hadn't seen anyone else go into it...so when I killed the guy, I left him there.

He was spotted and I was too far away to kill the guy that found him before the alarm was triggered...so I bolted and was spotted, I ran to the edge of the "mountain" and hopded there was a way down. There was to a ledge below - so I went down to that but once down there, there was no other ledges...so I tried to get back up and because of the "what I would call" ridiculous "you can climb that rock, but not that one", I fell off the "mountain" and died.

So I reloaded the checkpoint and it took me right back to the start of my infiltration! Absolutely gutted for 3 reasons...

• I was careless
• The games daft climbing issue (trust me - the ledge I dropped down on, there was NO reason to not let me climb back up...I stood up and could see the ground!
• The horrible checkpoint save point

I can see why they might think that was a good place for a checkpoint - but when you are talking about "sneaking" games, checkpoints far apart are really bad. It takes a looooong time to sneak around and recce. Having to do it ALL again because they choose the wrong checkpoint location is quite infuriating.

Anyway, once I died I reloaded the checkpoint, saw where I was and though "Nah...I'm not playing from there again...not tonight"!

[JasonPratt]

Ugh... I see the horrible checkpoint system is still intact? Daringly consistent design decisions there, Kojima... 

[JudgeDredd]

so.....how do you know who to send back? Obviously some characters (enemies) have better traits than others...I presume you shouldn't just send anyone back?

I've heard mother base say things like "You really want to send him back..."

The trouble is, I need to know their stats before I stun/kill them. I don't want to stun them and not send them back - because they wake up. So currently in my second play through of the first proper mission, I'm just killing the enemy.

Was I mistaken or did mother base just tell me that I would want to send a soldier back...a soldier that was coming to get me? Perhaps they instruct me of the ones to send back?

Also - how do I find the "other" parts of the mission. It has a main objective and 4 or 5 other sub missions with ??...I did just find one which was a prisoner I never saw on my previous run through - and some document or material I needed....is it just a case of searching and collecting things and they will be "ticked off"?

[Jarhead0331]

Personally, I make a habit of sending everyone back that I can. I only use lethal force if absolutely necessary. There are obviously mission specific marks that you want to send back. ie. the Russian translator, the Spetznaz commander, etc., but in general, I'm finding it good practice to do non-lethal take downs and send back as many recruits as possible. I have seen no downside to rescue. It only costs 300 credits to send them to Mother Base and I think it raises your heroics score.

JD, I'd be interested in hearing what you like about the game.

[JudgeDredd]

I'm not sure yet.

Rather weirdly, I'm 10 hours of gameplay in and I'm just not sure. Although that 10 hours includes the mental prologue, the first "intro" mission (I suppose) and the first "proper" mission (x2) from mother base.

I honestly, at the moment, do see anything sticking out...especially as being outstanding or a breakthrough. I have seen a couple of elements that really annoy me as mentioned above.

I think the mother base thing will turn out cool and I like the setting...80s Russians.

I think the crazy intro, the checkpoint save aspect and the ridiculous "sweet spot" thing for climbing knocked me a bit.

I'm not not enjoying it - but I think I've yet to see it's wonder.

[JasonPratt]

Judge, are you playing the Ground Zero prologue mission(s), too? Preorders got that thrown in or something.